With the government least concerned about reinstating the service, mechanical equipment worth millions of rupees are going to waste while many of the machinery parts have already been stolen by thieves. [break]
The 42-km ropeway service was shut in 1999 after the transformer and the cable line at the Bhaise sub-station was damaged. In the lack of proper care, various mechanical equipment of the ropeway worth more than Rs 290 million are rusting away.
There are a total of seven sub-stations of the ropeway and only five of them have security guards. The cables lines pass through Hetauda, Bhaise, Bhimphedi, Golfing, Jurikhet, Nayagaun Thaksing and Kathmandu ropeway stations.
Constructed through the financial and technical support of the United States of America in 1964, the ropeway transported 220 tons of goods in 7 hours. It would take four hours to transport goods from Kathmandu to Hetauda.
Talking to Republica, former managing engineer of the ropeway, Shyam Sunder Shrestha, shared that 900 employees were rendered jobless after the Ropeway service came to a halt.
“In order to operate the ropeway, the damaged transformer at Baise must be replaced or fixed,” said Shrestha.
According to former employees, the ropeway would transport around 11 tons of goods in an hour and they would charge 34 paisa per kg. The ropeway had the capacity to carry 25 tons.
“Many mechanical parts have been stolen in the past. Even I have caught a couple of thieves and handed them over to the police,” said a security guard at Ropeway Guard Station, Birkha Bahadur Tamang. “Around 60 percent of the equipment have already been stolen,” he added.
Related story
Railway engines gradually rusting
